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Ski Camp: Lake Placid Edition

The girls training group was giant, and so much fun!

A couple of weeks ago we wrapped up two weeks of training at the Olympic Training Facility in Lake Placid, New York.  Mary, Ben, Colin, and I joined up with skiers from the U.S. Ski Team, SMST2, the Green Team, BSF, and more, to put in some solid and intense training hours.  Highlight workouts of the camp consisted of some threshold intensity workouts, a quality bounding session up Whiteface, two time trials (a sprint race simulation and the Climb to the Castle), and a couple of ODs (a run up Mt. Marcy and a classic ski). Needless to say, I was pretty tired, but it was a happy tired.

So one of the main objectives of ski camps like this for athletes like m is purely to learn. The camp offers the chance to train with not only some of the fastest skiers in the country, but the world. These skiers have been through the ropes before; they know how to get sh** done. (Not to mention they're pretty darn awesome people to be around in general!)

Group shot after the last workout of camp

 For the sake of making a list (because who doesn't like lists??), here's some fun stuff I learned.

1. Technique

We worked on technique on almost every single workout. We watched videos of World Cup skiing before the workouts, and videos of ourselves after the workouts. All of the coaches were extremely helpful in giving us advice out on the roads, and we spent entire hours focused on striding, starting, double poling, skating, climbing, and bounding efficiently.  I learned that for me, it really helps to follow other skiers and mimic how they ski. The distance you cover flies away when you spend so much of it concentrating purely on your motions. 

Working on striding technique with Coach Pat biking next to us

2. How to climb a hill.

The second to last day of camp, we tackled the Climb to the Castle, a skate rollerski race up the roads on Whiteface, one of the highest peaks in the Adirondack mountains.  The race is a little over 5 miles long, and has legitimately no flats or downhills. Honestly, it was one of the hardest races I hae ever done and it's probably a good thing that I had no clue what was coming because I probably might have hidden in the woods to "accidentally" miss the start if I had. But if there's any time to figure out how to climb up a hill effectively when you're dead tired, that was it. Shoutout to Liz and Tim for dominating! 

Gorgeously vibrant views at the top of the climb..

I may or may not have thought this sign was lying.

So. Much. V1.

 3. How to inspire.

We had the opportunity to participate in a Fast and Female event, a program devoted to inspiring young girls to get out and be active, even if they aren't a part of an organized sport.  And it was so much fun! Even though the group was small, it gave us the chance to interact with the girls one-on-one, and hear about the girls' passions and dreams for the future.  The Champ Chat (question and answer session) helped me realize how much of an impact professional and amateur athletes can have on younger athletes, even if we don't realize it at the time. Our actions through training and every day life reflect how we reach our successes or failures. It's a pretty big, but pretty awesome responsibility. Oh. I also learned how to African dance, albeit not very successfully.

The group before the festivities began.

4. The East Coast isn't too bad of a place.

I'll let the picture below explain it. The rollerskiing in Lake Placid was some of the best I have ever experienced. Thanks to Ben's family for hosting us for dinner, and Colin's family for letting us stay with them on travel days!

 

5. How to tackle a Vermonster.
(I'm a little amazed at how disgusting I did not feel after eating all that ice cream. And cookies. And brownies. And candy.)

The complete list of everything involved in what we devoured.

Pre-pig-out.

 6. Home will always be home.
 After camp, I got to spend an amazing week at home seeing my family, best friends, and Sam. It really made me feel that no matter what part of life I am in, or where I am living, Minnesota will always hold a big chunk of my heart, and will always be my true home.